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pal guard occupied the Rue des Precheurs. The bulk of the
army was facing them in front.
This information given, Gavroche added:
‘I authorize you to hit ‘em a tremendous whack.’
Meanwhile, Enjolras was straining his ears and watching
at his embrasure.
The assailants, dissatisfied, no doubt, with their shot,
had not repeated it.
A company of infantry of the line had come up and oc-
cupied the end of the street behind the piece of ordnance.
The soldiers were tearing up the pavement and construct-
ing with the stones a small, low wall, a sort of side-work not
more than eighteen inches high, and facing the barricade.
In the angle at the left of this epaulement, there was vis-
ible the head of the column of a battalion from the suburbs
massed in the Rue Saint-Denis.
Enjolras, on the watch, thought he distinguished the pe-
culiar sound which is produced when the shells of grape-shot
are drawn from the caissons, and he saw the commander of
the piece change the elevation and incline the mouth of the
cannon slightly to the left. Then the cannoneers began to
load the piece. The chief seized the lint-stock himself and
lowered it to the vent.
‘Down with your heads, hug the wall!’ shouted Enjolras,
‘and all on your knees along the barricade!’
The insurgents who were straggling in front of the
wine-shop, and who had quitted their posts of combat on
Gavroche’s arrival, rushed pell-mell towards the barricade;
but before Enjolras’ order could be executed, the discharge